A wild Panathinaikos, “swallowed” Olympiacos and took the lead!

More in a little while …

The match:

Very good start by Panathinaikos who raised his own terms early on in the match with Voulkidis and Van Garderen to reflect on Olympiacos’ reception. The “Greens” entered an imposing pace early, working perfectly in the block, while the guests’ mistakes combined with the “damaged” sockets brought the “clover” to +5 (16-11) from the Gasman ace. Olympiacos seemed to … surrender to the existing conditions and Panathinaikos with Gasman and Protopsalti comfortably reached 1-0 with Nielsen making it 25-17.

A balanced start in the second set with the two teams keeping up, but not for a long time, since the clover block did not leave much room for Olympiacos who did not have Atanasievic on a good day. Nielsen, Gasman and Voulkidis, dominated in front of the fillet, at the moment when Paenk with Perin were “fighting” virtually on their own, but they were not enough. The guard was forced to throw Papagelopoulos in the match, who was rocking the difference at five (22-17). Panathinaikos’ attacks, however, were perfectly organized and Nielsen … threatened and gave the “clover” of six points (23-17). Pagenk and Atanasievic erased two Panathinaikos’ opportunities in the set bowed, but Nielsen finished the set with easy to write 25-20.

Panathinaikos got into the third set very loudly taking a 3-0 lead, but with a 4-0 lead Olympiacos took the lead for the first time in the match. The hosts’ equalizer was temporary because the Piraeus was “fired” in the final for the first time, reaching Koumentakis at +4 (6-10). The guests were getting easy points, as Panathinaikos service was frustrating and psychology was plunging down and the score was unacceptable, for overthrowing levels, 10-20, in favor of Olympiacos. This score gave the two coaches the opportunity to rest their basic weapons, with Panathinaikos reduced with a small series and Olympiacos making it 2-1 (16-25).

Panathinaikos is terrified at the start of the fourth set, taking a difference of five points with “Good evening” (6-1). Olympiacos reduced with one individual 2-0 to three, but the Protopsaltis with Van Garderen again brought Panathinaikos to +4. This pattern was followed for quite some time with Panathinaikos and Perin Pagenk by Olympiacos starring. The difference was between the three and four points in favor of Panathinaikos with the Piraeus, lowering it to the two with Travica blocking the Protopsalt for 18-16. The match acquired a … wild beauty with terrible rally and drawn points, like the one that Van Garderen took for Panathinaikos making it 21-18. The “clover” was not risked, only once in the service, resulting in a critical point at +4 (24-20) and had four opportunities for victory. One may have gone lost but the second was not unused and Panathinaikos with 25-21 made it 3-1 in the sets of a title!

More in a little while …